Madame Rong: "Wei Wei, why don't you stay for lunch? I'll get roasted duck."
Lu Wei : "No it's alright, I'll take my leave"
Even at the mention of roasted duck Lu Wei did not wait, was not a common occurrence. It was her favourite, if she could, she will eat it everyday, every meal. Madame took the hint. She was here for far too long, she has to return back to that hellish Lu residence before anyone notices her disappearance.
Madame Rong: "At least take some pastry."
Lu Wei : "Sure I'll take that."
Lu Wei : "Oh Madame I forgot to tell you, that I will be needing a maid-in-waiting for me. To go to my wedded house, as a dowry maid."
Madame Rong: "I have someone in mind, she will be perfect I believe. I'll have her here by the beginning of next week itself. Do come by then to fetch her."
Lu Wei : "Alright Madame. Thank you."
At that moment, Madame felt awfully emotional and hugged Lu Wei.
"Your going to get married. I feel content. I've know you since you were twelve and I've seen you shape into a fine lady." Said Madame Rong, as she held Lu Wei's face tenderly.
Lu Wei : "I'm grateful to you Madame Rong, for being my patron and sponsored me, took care of little me, Thank you, sincerely."
The emotional exchange of words halted as a servant came by with the packed pastry and two boxes that was handed to Lu Wei.
Lu Wei : "What is this?"
Madame Rong: "A face cream and face pack. This is tea to have you glowing and beautiful by the time of your wedding day." Inside one box was two containers and other was a tea caddy. "Your face is very haggard at the moment. I can see you put off your rest and well-being into completing the gold embellished painting. Therefore we need to restore your beauty." Said Madame Rong with devotion.
Lu Wei : "Is it that bad?" As she touched her face, she could feel dryness.
Madame Rong: "Yes, you look pale, out of any warmth on the cheeks, sullen eyes and almost greyish complexion. Your groom will mistake you for a ghost bride. And your also wearing not so flattering clothes, its creating eerie aura."
Lu Wei : (flustered) "There was no need for Madame to be so specific."
Madame Rong: "Your a week late! The treatment should have been started three weeks prior to take full effect. There's only twelve days for the wedding day that means you got eleven days to prep. Put these two, (showing the two containers for skincare), on tonight itself, pack first then cream and drink this tea in the night."
Lu Wei : "Alright! I will, I shall take my leave now."
Madame Fu Rong saw Lu wei walk the long corridor, as Madame stood at the door post of the room. Watching her back become smaller and smaller. Madame Rong couldn't help but recall little Wei Wei when they first met.
When Lu Wei's mother Lu Lian died, immediately after the Lu family shifted to capital. Uncle Lu did not hold a mourning period. Only Wei did the three years mourning period. She was twelve living-off her uncle and her aunt provided bare minimum. Mei wasn't letting Wei have an easy time either. She had ordered around Wei as a maid but Wei Wei purposely broke valuables under guise of an accident, so she was no longer asked to serve.
Wei isolated herself in order to not get bullied. Madame Lu's personal maid would come to serve meals to Wei, soon that role was shifted to another maid and after a period of time. Mei gave confidence to her servants and they acted out.
They would ruin Wei's food. It happened at two episodes, where she was served a day old food. Madame Lu found out and ordered not to provide any food to her. Lu Wei was hungry, and didn't know what to do. She wasn't under the protection of her parents, she had to grow up fast that very moment. As easy that sounds little Wei cried clasping her knees and elbow before she finally calmed down. And started searching through her belongs to find anything valuable to sell. That frantic searching knocked a scroll down and Wei opened it. It was her painting she thought of selling it.
She went out in the streets alone, not knowing the streets or lane. A young little girl wandering on the wrong side of the city. The lane was where prostitute houses were located. That is when, Madame Rong saw little Wei Wei. She immediately rushed out to this young girl, and asked her, coming down to her level for eye contact : "What are you doing here?" In a voice that had urgency, fear and slight tenderness. "Why are you in this side of the street!"
"I'm lost." Said little Wei Wei. "I'm new to the city."
Madame Rong: "This is a bad street, never come here. Go home now."
Little Wei Wei : "I'm here to sell things"
Madame Rong: "Little girl, your young for this, why you want to sell?"
Little Wei Wei : "To make money for food."
Madame Rong: "When was the last proper meal you had?"
Little Wei Wei : "two days ago… I had a day old congee. I vomited it after that nothing."
Madame Rong: "Come inside."
Madame Rong, takes the little hand of Wei Wei and guides her to her entertainment house, to the servants room next to the kitchen.
Madame Rong: "Where is your mother? Are you separated from her?"
Little Wei Wei : "No. My mother and father are dead. I live with my uncle"
Madame Rong: "And he does not feed you?"
Little Wei Wei shakes her head, "he does not like me and mother." The cook comes with a tray of easy to eat dishes and sets the table in front them.
Madame Rong: "Here eat these. There is salted chicken, rice, boiled eggs and greens, eat." The little girl only stared at the meal and did not touch anything.
Madame Rong: "You do not have to pay money for this meal. I'm not going to charge you." But the little girl was still hesitate of eating as she fidgeted with her clothes.
Madame Rong: "You said you were here to sell something. What was it?"
Little Wei Wei : "My painting."
Madame Rong: "Can you show me your painting? I'll buy the painting so you can eat."
Little Wei Wei : "Madame, I'll like the money"
Madame Rong: "What will you do of it?"
Little Wei Wei : "By rice so I can cook for myself… If I eat now I won't have anything for tomorrow."
Madame Rong had a change of expression. This priceless little thing was let to fend for herself. She spoke, "I'll buy your painting, here, (taking out a pouch filled with coins and segregating the amount in a different smaller pouch) this should be enough for rice and other things."
Madame Rong: "Eat this now, don't worry about the money, eat it." little Wei Wei finally began eating. Her clothes were shabby but she had a clean face and well tied hair. She was taking care of herself, all alone all this time. This sight of this little girl made Madame Rong melancholy.
After little Wei Wei finished eating, Madame Rong said, "I'll walk you too your house." Wei Wei described the lane and the house so Rong could navigate the area and finally reach her house. Madame stopped at the lane leading to her house and instructed Wei Wei, "Go home now and do not come to that street again. You understand?" Wei Wei bowed her head and walked to the Lu mansion's back gate. Before entering she turned around and waved bye to the lady on the lane. Madame responded back with a wave and watched Wei Wei go inside the gate.
Wei Wei entered the worn out room, it was equivalent to a hut. She saw around the room and realised she does not have a place to put fire, or a pot to cook. She wanted to run back to the nice lady who helped her but recalled her telling Wei Wei not to go back to the streets. So Lu Wei hid her money bag in her clothing and ventured out once again. This time she successfully ended in the outer city of the Dongling capital where the most household, used and second hand as well as new material were sold. Wei Wei has seen people use hearth before so she brought a earthen hearth and a new terracotta pot with lid to cook rice. The two items were heavy so she did not buy rice at that time. Seeing the little girl struggle with her luggage. A kind food stall lady helped Wei Wei, she used a cloth to put her items in it and tied it to make it a shoulder bag. She also gave Wei Wei two buns. Wei Wei thanked the nice old lady and left for Lu residence.
She left the purchased item on the table and rushed out again to buy rice. As she was buying rice she saw someone use flame stick, so Wei Wei brought one too, and rushed home. She was panting from running back, wiped her sweat. And sat down at the table, before she began cooking. It had began to darken outside. Wei Wei went to the stables to get a little husk, to start fire under the hearth. She had some wood. She placed the pot and poured in loads of water and two little fist filled rice. While the water boils and cooks rice, Wei Wei was counting how much she had left of the money. It was enough to last her fews days. Wei Wei felt asleep on the table when she smelled cooked rice. She had her spoon and bowl but no ladle, so she just used her soup spoon to serve herself rice. She blows on the hot rice porridge, when she ate it she spat it out. Wei Wei wasn't aware at the time that a new utensil used for cooking has to be cured first before cooking. Otherwise it will have dust and particles of its components. Fortunately Wei Wei had those two buns from earlier, she ate that, washed her hand and feet using a bucket full of water, and went to sleep.
Next day she went out to the outer city again and brought a second hand and a used pot. It was the seller lady that said new pots need to be submerged in water, dried and oiled before it is fit for use. She also brought a ladle.
Outside Madame Rong's entertainment house, she spotted little Wei Wei again after two weeks. Standing outside, facing the house, holding another scroll in hand. Yet again Madame rushed out and said, "Why are you here again. Didn't I tell you not to come here?"
Little Wei Wei : "I came to sell my painting. I did as you said. I did not come here. But I could not sell this painting in any other place. No one was willing to buy."
Madame Rong: "Little miss come inside first, don't stand out."
They were back at the servants room next to the kitchen.
Madame Rong: "Little miss, you paintings are nothing special. It is made on coarse cotton cloth and the cloth does not even have a ground or burnished. It is poor workmanship. But… I can tell your hand is good. These intricate designs, never seen before."
Little Wei Wei : (eagerly) "So I need to make all the changes you said… BUT!"
Madame Rong: "Eat this before you even continue to speak." And places a dish and a bowl of noodles in front of Wei Wei.
Madame Rong: "I hired a new chef. He claims that his best dishes are roasted duck and noodles. Taste and tell me if he is really good, as he claims."
Wei Wei took a bite of the roasted duck and immediately loved it, her happy expression was enough for Madame Rong to understand, "Your hired! the little miss loves it." Madame said to the chef.
Madame Rong: "You can write and read?"
Little Wei Wei : "Yes," as she continued eating.
Madame wrote instructions on the paper about stretcher for painting on cloth how to get it ready, procedure of ground, layers and burnishing. By the time Wei Wei was done eating, Madame had send a servant to by silk fabric, some pigments and brush for Wei Wei.
Madame Rong: "I'm giving you these, change your medium from cotton to silk. Richer the material you use, noble your work will be and people will buy it thinking its valuable even if its a no name, rookie artist. Also I have written instructions in this paper, do the process accordingly. I will be your sponsor. I will pay for your materials and you hone your skill. Take your time and finish your painting and bring it to this man here, he will give this to me and I will sell it. He will bring the money to you."
Little Wei Wei : " THANK YOU MADAME!"
"You should probably take an alias name, a man's name. If we are selling to high class people and nobles, they would not prefer a women's work let alone a little girl. Choose a man's name and we'll put master in front of it. Buyers will be compelled to buy." Said Madame as she planned marketing strategises for the painting.
Wei Wei didn't know any fancy names, so she just said her father's name. "Wei."
"Master Wei. Sounds good. Alright from now on your Master Wei." Said Madame.
Madame Rong : "Oh, I never asked you your name nor I introduced myself. My name is Fu Rong. You can call me Madame Rong. And what is your name?"
Little Wei Wei : "Lu Wei. Lu is my mother's name and Wei is my father's name. Lu Wei."
Madame Rong : "Alright then, Lady Lu Wei, here lets shake hands and fix this deal."
They shook hands and closed their painter and sponsor deal.
"But, Madame I can come to delivery the painting," said Wei Wei.
"Don't make me repeat what I said earlier. These are dangerous streets. You are not to set foot here again," spoke Madame Rong sternly.
Wei Wei understood and did not pry more. The male servant send Wei Wei home, he too, stood out in the lane and watched her enter the gate of the residence.